Getting her
by Krissy4
Summary: [Cats] Prequel to Are you her? Focusing on Rumpelteazer and Roquefort's lives before he died
1. Tall, Red, Savior

The orange kitten's eyes darted from the limp brown queen to the small calico that was, literally, just born. He called to the queen, no response... "Momma..." Still no answer. "Momma!" He began to shake the queen gently; she fell over gently, her body still and lifeless. The small tom began to hyperventilate calling frantically to his mother before a small, pitiful meow broke his thoughts. He looked sharply at the calico, withering on the ground, looking for shelter and food. Tentatively he picked her up; unsure of what to do with a kitten, let alone one so small.

"Help," he yelled out loud, hoping that someone would hear him, "Help!" He couldn't just leave her; she was his sister, and word was that Pollicles were getting restless and would strike without warning.

"What's all the commotion about?"

The tom looked up from the kitten and saw a tall tom; red, black, and white jagged fur shinning in the early light. He scrambled to his paws, still clutching the tiny child as he pleaded, "Please, you have to help me! My mom, she's not moving! And my sister, she needs food or something I'm not sure what... She was just born, just now. Please, you got to help me!"

The red tom looked down at the kitten oddly, then turned on a heel and walking away. The kitten froze before running down the rest of the alley, calling after the one who just left, "Wait; come back! Help me... Please..." He fell to the ground, tears rolling down his cheeks. He felt his sister press into him, obviously looking for warmth and food. "What in the world _do_ you eat anyways?" He choked on his tears; remembering the all too common fact that kittens need their mothers to live. He was no mother; he still depended on his own until a few minutes ago when he lost her. He wrapped his arms around her tighter, hoping not to crush her small body but not allowing any of the harsh October air to hit her either.

"Kit," he looked up and saw the red tom from earlier, holding a glass bottle of milk and an eyedropper, "Your sister still hungry?"

"Yeah, she is," he sniffled and the tom dragged the things over towards the two kittens. "Where did you get that stuff?"

"Humans; it's amazing what they leave lying around their houses," he said with a mischievous smile as he picked up the eyedropper, "Do you know how to use this?" The kit shook his head, tears still slowly falling. "Hand her over," he offered as he filled the dropper with milk. The kitten clutched on to her tighter for a moment before reluctantly handing her over to the stranger who sat down next to him.

"She drinks milk," he asked as he watched the older tom offer the liquid to the newborn.

"You really don't know much about kittens do you," he asked with a bit of a laugh. The two waited in silence as the calico sniffed what was offered to her and took a little lick, as if she was testing it, before she began to take more.

"She's- she's eating, my sister's eating. She's going to be okay right," the taller tom shrugged, still cradling the small queen. "Can... can I try that? Feeding her and all?"

"Sure you can, she is your sister," he said as he laid down the dropper and carefully passed the kitten, "Be sure to support her head, now. Here, take this and offer it to her, don't shove it in her mouth. If she's hungry, she'll eat."

"Okay," he said as he did what he was told; his sister ate a bit before falling asleep.

"So your mom died," the red tom said as the smaller one nodded, "Did she name your sister before she...?" The kitten shook his head, readjusting his sibling. "Then you'll have to name her; can't quite have her growing up without a name."

"I don't know what to name her," he whispered quietly.

"Well, what's your name?"

"Roquefort," he said as he looked up, "My Momma's name was Rashid."

"I see," the red tom said, before becoming deep in thought. "What about... _Rumpel?_ Rumpel... Teazer"

"Rumpelteazer," Roquefort repeated looking down at his sister, "I like it."

"Glad you do," he said as he got up and sauntered down the alley, "I'll be seeing you around."

"Wait," Roquefort called, before dropping his voice, "What's your name?"

"It's Macavity."

* * *

A/N: Snow Day! First snow day of the year! What a better way to celebrate the first week of school then it being three days long, sleeping until 11:30 (I'm amazed that I did that) and posting a prequel? I don't know either... Maybe owning a pony... oh well. This boredom streak has really got me in an updating frenzy. It must pass soon; I can't keep going on like this. Maybe I'll bring my little cousins sledding, which should help, right? Oh I don't know.

Anywho, thanks to everyone who liked "Are you her" and reviewed to it. I actually lost interest in it and, well, you all helped me rekindle it. I don't think that I can thank you all enough... And I'm sorry that this chapter was so short.Now, I'm off to sled and try to work on other fics...

_Il neige, il neige. Les grosse floçons en blanc. Il neige, il neige. Pour tous les petits enfants…_


	2. SS Eliot

"Hello Macavity," Roquefort smiled when he saw the familiar red tom enter his alley, "You're up early."

"I can very well say the same thing to you," he stated, peering over Roquefort's shoulder, "Did she open her eyes yet?"

"Nah, not yet," the orange tabby said, cradling Rumpelteazer, "Should be soon though right?"

"Yes, soon," Macavity agreed as he sat down next to the two strays. He had came back to the alley at least once everyday since he came across the pair; teaching Roquefort how to take cars of Rumpelteazer and taking away their mother's form and burring her not more then a block away.

"Thank you again for helping me with her," Roquefort said quietly.

"Enough with the '_thank you's_ already, if you keep saying that I won't come back," Macavity growled.

"You always say that you won't but you always come back," Roquefort smiled.

"You got me there I suppose," he murmured under his breath, "But seriously, you don't have to say thank you every time you see me."

"I'm just grateful is all; I don't know how else I can show my gratitude besides saying 'thank you'."

"You want to show your gratitude you say," Macavity asked, obviously intrigued. Roquefort nodded, grabbing the dropper so he could feed Rumpelteazer, "There is something that you can do for me."

"What is it?"

"Nothing much, just a few errands that I can't seem to find time to do," he said offhandedly while fiddling with his claws, "Pick up a few tings, drop some stuff off, nothing extreme; just a few tidbits."

"I can do that," Roquefort offered excitedly, "So long as I can get someone to watch Rumpelteazer... There are a few cats a couple of alleys over I can ask to keep an eye on her. When do you want me to do it?"

"Well I do have a package that needs to be dropped off at the docks tonight; if you could do that for me..."

"Sure I can," he interjected, "I don't mind."

"Than you Roquefort," Macavity grinned, barring his pointy teeth. He pushed himself up and began walking away, "I'll meet you here after sundown."

* * *

Macavity sauntered towards the kitten, a brown paper package tucked safely under his arm. Roquefort stood up when he saw Macavity and tried brushed some dirt off of himself, only smudging it more in the process. The kitten shifted nervously; uneasy of having his sister out of his care, "Thank you again Roquefort."

"No problem Macavity," Roquefort said quietly, obviously uncomfortable with the darkness of night and the idea of straying away from the back alley area, "I got Cat Morgan from down the road watching Rumpel."

"The one down at Faber and Faber," the kitten nodded in conformation as Macavity nodded back, "Well, here's the package, there should be a white queen next to a boat, the S.S Eliot; she'll be expecting you."

"S.S. Eliot, right," Roquefort repeated, taking the parcel from Macavity. "I suppose that I should be going then..."

"Very well," Macavity said, "I'll be seeing you later on tomorrow."

Roquefort watched him leave, and sighed. He looked down at the parcel and shuffled it in his paws, "Might as well get this over with."

* * *

"S.S Eliot... S.S Eliot..." Roquefort scanned the names painted on the sides of the boats, trying to find his destination. He stopped in front of a dingy ship; boards hanging off slightly; seaweed hanging from the sides, making it difficult to read the name on the side. "Hello," he whispered, after a moment of silence he yelled louder, "Hello!"

"No need to yell Darlin' I'm right here."

"Sorry," Roquefort whispered as a tall white queen climbed across the plank that was attached to the boat. "Um... I have a package," the queen cocked an eyebrow at him and suppressed a smile, "It's from Macavity."

"Oh really," she purred as he handed her the bundle. She tore a corner from it and peered inside, "Yeah, it's from him alright. I was wondering what was taking him so long with it. Thank you sweetheart," she said before giving him a lick on the cheek. Roquefort stared up at her, who smiled back wickedly. With a flick of her tail she was walking back across the plank and back on to the boat.

"That wasn't too bad," he murmured to himself, wiping the kiss off his cheek. He looked around, the area was deserted and foggy and it was the dead of night, "Best get Rumpelteazer back from Morgan..."

* * *

"Well," Macavity asked as the white queen walked into a back room on the ship, "who was it Griddlebone?"

"It was that kitten you were telling me about, he delivered the package," she said, grinning in the balmy moonlight that filtered through the broken window, "You have him now."

"Yes, I almost didn't want to recruit him," he said, inspecting his claws, "Cares so much about his sister and just lost his mother and all... but he _is_ a year old and that's old enough to start working."

"And his sister, that's where you got him," she reminded, lounging on a pile of rags, "He'll obviously do _anything_ to keep her safe."

"Yes," he agreed, "We need to take it slow with this one though, wait until she gets older and they get closer. Send him out at night when she's sleeping and let him spend the days with her; the closer they get, the stronger the bond, and the more... _devious_ the tasks I can get him to do."

"What ever you say Macavity Darlin'..."

* * *

A/N: I had to put this up today. Why, you might be asking; to celebrate! What? Celebrate the latest snowfall; the fact that I got my picture from Chimalmaht the other day; and that it's my half birthday! _I'm 16 and a half baby!_ (So old....) And I'm sure that there's other reasons why I/we should be celebrating but I forgot them. Woops. Oh, and I finished writing this fic so I'm going to start on the sequel in a few minutes. Not that this is the end of the fic, there's still more to go. It's just all written for my convenience.  
And this will start to pick up in later chapters. And as for the S.S Eliot... I was going to name the boat after my neighbor's but it's "Traitor II" and I thought that it would just be a little ironic... I don't know

**Chimmy-Lava and **_**Jemima-luvah** _– You did a joint review you're getting a joint reply! _I still didn't see Joe so you are still without name. I don't quite know why Macavity knows so much about kittens, I'll think of a reason and put it in the sequel. I promise that it won't be because of some mated queen..._ I don't know how I managed to sleep to 11:30 but I did! It felt great... _Boredom stayed. This wasn't up as soon as you probably would have liked though. At least you had the secret page to keep you busy..._ Gangasta sistah is halla-ring back! Bah-day from up North! _Now really it's not that funny; Poet would have probably died laughing too now that I come to think about it... _There was the chapter for my gangsta sistahs from the west coast. Keep watching those seagulls

**Mystitat** – The responsible Macavity won't be around for long. Soon he will be the tom that we all know and Jemima-luvah loves.

_Poet; Poet; are you ready? I'm going to scare you. Are you ready? Ready...... BOO! Were you scared?_


	3. Moved

Roquefort smiled as his sister took a few teetering steps towards him before falling over; he took a step towards her and caught her under the arms before she hit the ground. Her big bright green eyes looked up at him, awaiting a response. He smiled down proudly at her and began purring deeply; she soon coping him. He stood her back up and took a step back with his arms out; wanting her to try to walk to him again. She took a few, small, careful steps before taking a leap and landing safely in his chest.

"Wonderful," he purred, "You walked."

"Roquefort," she giggled childishly, nuzzling him as she continued to imitate his purr. She looked up at him for a moment before yawning widely and blinked her eyes, obviously tired. He scooped her up and carried her back to their cardboard box, tucking her into the pile of rags they used as a bed. He curled up around her, keeping her warm and waiting for her to fall asleep. Soon enough, once the sun set over the tall buildings that blocked them and sky was dark, she was breathing steadily and in a deep sleep.

"Am I disturbing anything?"

Roquefort looked up and saw Macavity standing outside of the box, peering in at the two occupants. Roquefort managed to suppress a yawn as he stood up, "No, I was just putting her to bed."

"I see," Macavity said as he began to wander away from the cardboard home. Roquefort slowly followed him outside; hoping that it was just a visit instead of going on another errand in the dead of night, he was starting to get rather tired. "Would you be able to a favor for me? I'd do it myself but I hurt my back paw earlier and it hurts to run; I'll stay here and watch Rumpelteazer for you."

"Sure thing," he agreed even though he felt like turning him down, "Where to tonight?"

"Not far," he said vaguely, "Over on North Street, the dumpster outside of Louie's. There should be a sock underneath it, please get it for me."

"Okay, I'll be back shortly," he said as he tucked Rumpelteazer in a bit more before walking down the street. He really should run; he really would if he had the energy. He stole a glance at the street sign, another block and he'll be at North. "Why doesn't Macavity just do this himself? What is he doing that got him so busy?" He slinked into the alley where the dumpster was located, making sure to be quiet; alley cats were quite predatorily about their turf, especially one with a dumpster – it meant constant food. He ran silently to the dumpster and allowed himself to slide underneath it; he stretched his paw out in front of him and began feeling around for the sock. Felling something soft underneath his pads he pulled it close, finding a stuffed sock in his possession. Smiling, he dragged it out and took off back to his home, ready for a good night's sleep.

"Back so soon," Macavity asked, glancing at the sky as if to calculate the time, "That was rather quick Roquefort."

"Is this the sock you wanted," he asked with a shrug. Macavity nodded as he was handed the sock, he opened it slightly and looked inside; making sure that everything was still there.

"Thank you Roquefort," Macavity said as he looked down at the calico queen, "Rumpelteazer's growing."

"Yeah, she took a few steps already, just before she went to bed," Roquefort commented with a smile, "and she can say my name. That's about all she says."

"Already walking and talking, she's growing up right before our eyes," Macavity reflected as he scrunched up his face, "You might need a bigger box soon. I don't mind finding you one so long as you keep helping me with my errands."

"That would be great," Roquefort sighed as he nodded his head.

"I'll keep my eyes opened for one then," Macavity said as he stood up, gripping onto the sock. "You best get some sleep for now. I'll see you around..."

* * *

"This is where you moving them," Griddlebone asked, looking at the crate in an alley not too far from a junkyard, "Are you sure it's wise? I mean, it's close to the Jellicle side of the junkyard..."

"But it is closer to mine," Macavity reminded, "There's also an open area a block away where he can bring her to play; and I have quite a few spots in this area where he can run some 'errands' for me. You must think of these things."

"What ever you say Macavity," Griddlebone sighed as she turned around and walked away.

**

* * *

**

"Roquefort, Roquefort!"

Roquefort rolled over and felt someone jump upon his stomach; way to wake up in the middle of a good sleep. He peeled open his eyes and saw Rumpelteazer sitting upon him, face not too far away from his own. "You got to see this!

"What Rumpelteazer," he breathed as she bounced off and ran to the open side of their new home.

"There's something wrong with the sky," she said in a worried voice. Roquefort walked over to her and sat next to her; looking out at the rainy night.

"That's just rain Teazer," he sighed, "Go back to sleep."

"Rain," she repeated, sticking a white paw and allowed a drop to land on it. "It's wet," she giggled.

"Of course it is, rain is water," he smiled as she continued to giggle.

"Rain," she cried as she ran out into the falling water; giggling. "Hey Roquefort! I found rain on the ground!"

"That's a rain puddle," he explained, curled back up in the box, ready to go back to sleep.

"Oh, is it supposed to be brown and squishy?" Roquefort rolled back over and pushed himself to his paws once again. He stuck his head out and saw her standing in a small pile of mud, half splattered with it.

"That's mud, Teazer," he sighed, "get in before you-" He stopped as what he was about to warn her about did happen; she slipped on the mud and became covered init; from nose to tail. She stood up shakily, trying to keep her footing. She walked back to him, completely brown, "Before you fall..."

"What is it Roquefort," she asked, giving him the same searching look he was giving her.

"You look like mom," he whispered, before she fell in a rain puddle and got most of it washed off.

"Mom; what's mom; does it fall like rain too?"

"No," he laughed as he picked her up by the scruff of her neck and carried her back in the box. "Mom is the queen who you came from. She takes care of you, watches over you, makes sure that you're okay... or at least she's suppose to. Our mom died when you were born."

"She did, what was she like," Rumpel asked, nuzzling into her brother.

"She was gorgeous; a Tiffany. All brown and fluffy, it was wonderful to sleep against. She would sing to pass the time and liked to venture out; she wanted to see all that she could. She was gentle, and loved to her laughter; she would have loved you. When you were muddy just a few minutes ago, you looked beautiful... like Momma," he stated quietly before a comfortable silence fell over them.

"Roquefort," Rumpel started quietly, "Since Momma is the one who takes care of you and stuff does that make you my Momma?"

"I suppose so, now get back to sleep," he whispered, "And Rumpelteazer, don't call me Momma in public."

* * *

A/N: A rather… uneventful chapter, I know, I know. I just got back from babysitting though and felt like adding this. And now I am thinking that I should really work on the sequel, I got sidetracked by another fic. Woops. I'll get back to work on it tonight or tomorrow. I promise, once I'm done sleeping in. And to all of those who didn't hear of my latest happy attack; my drama group _is_ doing a musical after it was decreed that we _wouldn't_! "Into the Woods"! We're learning who's who next week and I'm hoping that I'm the Baker's Wife (and Donny wants to be the Baker) and Poet wants to be Cinderella. We'll see how it all goes.

**Chimmy-Lava** – Hollah-ing gansta sistah – he doesn't quite know how deep he's in. Hooray! My mom wouldn't celebrate with me. It was fun. I'll always remember duck cheese…

**Mima-Love** – Hollah-ing gansta sistah – seagulls are so smart. Looking at is always good. Great if have to walk to school (trust me). It is starting and it'll get better… next chapter I do believe checks Yep; next chapter! I promise that there's no other queen; just you (a drama queen). He'll learn that street cats aren't the friendliest next chapter… Have fun trumpeting, and good luck!

**Broken Smyl** – I'm glad that you liked it! And thank you

**Mystitat **– I did get snow. I also got a warm front today (12 degrees Celsius) and now most of the snow is gone. It does snow a lot up here in Canada; I'd die in California – no snow… Well his soft side reappears in the sequel so, you know. I do have the book, 'tis dog eared since week one. I love it.

**lozzypop** – It's not quite a first, still a shocker though. (Chapter 2) He has no clue how devious Macavity is … yet. Happy belated Birthday then! I suppose that you can consider this a belated birthday present.

_No Quote today….. Null_


	4. Boy Howdy

"Rumpelteazer," Roquefort called obliviously as a small giggle came out of the tall grass, "Rumpelteazer; where are you?" The giggle grew louder; he turned towards it, making her 'eep'. "I wonder where she could be..."

He pushed the grass apart, revealing her, "You found me, how did you know where I was," she laughed.

"Lucky guess," he lied as he picked her up and tickled her. She began squirming about in his arms, trying to free herself. She was now two and a half months old – nearly eleven weeks – she was growing and staying healthy; not to mention dirty. She was rather polished compared to him, he's been running out for Macavity almost every night this week – picking up packages, dropping them off, hiding things – it was getting tiresome. Rumpelteazer began kicking, eventually hitting him in the shin and bringing him to the ground. "Ow, okay, I'll stop tickling you."

"What happened Roquefort," Rumpelteazer asked as she glided a paw over a long scratch across his shoulder. He raised his paw to cover it and bit his lip.

"It's just a cut Rumpel," he said gently, "Nothing to worry about."

"Do you think I'm_ stupid_," she accused, crossing her arm, "You didn't have that when I went to bed last night-"

"It's nothing, and you should stop hanging around Cat Morgan, you're getting his attitude," he added hoping to deter her from the subject at paw.

"Tell - me – **now**," she enunciated through clenched teeth.

"It happened when I was doing something from a friend," he sighed.

"Mustn't be a very good friend if he's letting you get hurt," she pointed out, moving his paw so she could inspect the cut, "It doesn't look too bad."

"Sometimes you act so mature it scares me," Roquefort remarked, standing back up, "It reminds me that you're growing up."

"So are you," she interjected, "and so is Cat Morgan. You should become friends with him; he wouldn't let you get hurt."

"I'm sure he wouldn't," he said, grabbing her paw and leading her out of the grassy area, "Come on, it's been a day since you ate last, let's find some food."

"'Kay," she sighed as they began walking down a nearby street, "Roquefort... tell your friend that I don't want you getting hurt, alright."

"Sure, I'll tell him that."

* * *

"Something troubling you Roquefort," Macavity asked when he entered the alley that night, a new task in mind for the tabby to run. Roquefort looked up from his perch on top of the crate where Rumpelteazer was currently sleeping.

"I was just thinking about what Rumpelteazer said earlier, is all," Roquefort said, glad that he didn't need to think up a way to bring up the topic, "She, inadvertently, said that you weren't a good friend and she didn't want me to get hurt when I was doing things for you."

A grim smile crawled across his face, slowly walking towards the younger tom, who shielded away slightly, "She doesn't want you to get hurt; well now isn't that sweet? Wouldn't it just be... horrid if instead of you getting hurt," he crouched down and stroked the sleeping queen's cheek, "she was to be hurt instead?"

"What are you saying," Roquefort growled, jumping off the crate.

"I'm merely saying that accidents can happen. Why one night she could go to sleep and," he extracted his claws and inspected them with a smile, "just not wake up."

"Are you threatening me with her," Roquefort accused as Macavity nodded, "I can't believe this. You helped me save her when she was just born, you gave her life."

"I gave it to her and I can take it away; unless I'm not provoked to do so, so I suggest that you step up in your work. There's a black tom cat four blocks over, he lives in the third garbage can in," Macavity said as he walked away.

"What about him," Roquefort asked. Macavity turned around, the moonlight glinting off of his toothy grin and in his eyes, making him seem anything less then malicious.

"Kill him... if you cherish your sister's life."

* * *

Roquefort exhaled deeply; eyes squeezed shut, paws shaking, stomach churning. His chest was heaving with each shuddering breath as he raised his paws. He peered out at them – red. He closed his eyes again and fell to the ground, tears streaming down his face as the agonized scream continued to echo in his ears. He felt around for a puddle and began cleaning his paws upon locating one. Macavity and Griddlebone watched from the top of a nearby fire escape, identical smug grins on their faces.

"He actually did it," Griddlebone whispered, "He's a murderer."

"Of course he did," Macavity said, "He learnt that he doesn't want to displease me..."

Griddlebone giggled as the tabby shakily got up, staggering and swaying on his paws. He turned and ran blindly down the street, tears down his cheeks and his paws wet, but clean. He tripped, upon entering his alley; he looked up and saw Rumpelteazer's form not too far away. He crawled over to her and gently rested his paw on her, feeling it move as she slept, "Still breathing... Still living... Still safe"

* * *

A/N: Let's make this quick – I got 12 minutes! Another snowy day up here – if roads are good I'm going to an info session for Memorial University in Antigonish. We found out who's playing who in Drama – I'm Sleeping Beauty. I already got teased about that I home – I sleep like a log – and Sleeping Beauty's one of my nicknames. Our school is doing the Traditional rewrite of the script so that I shall have lines aside from that one yawn. And hey, I get to wear another pretty dress! Don't you just love Macavity in the chapter? Boy howday that's one short chapter

**Nabooru** – That's Macavity – he's always a crowd pleaser. Lots happens next… Just wait until they get up

**Chimmy-Lava** – That was the main point for this fic – Mud. He has to die because… I wrote him dead in the sequel to this. Although I do suppose that we could say that he ran away… no Teazer saw him. Adam's happy that I'm Sleeping Beauty because he's Cinderella's Prince so he falls in love with me during Act 2… something like that. I'm afraid what he's going to do while I'm sleeping. Anywho – I'm trying to get his costume to have tights – keep him in line. Peace

**Mima-Love** – Teachers are stupid and the snow should have stuck about longer then it did. I never gave the sock a second though and you just have to love kittens. I wish I had a cat but I'm allergic to them. Sucky. Duck Cheese and crackers!

**Mystitat** – He hasn't a clue….

_Hahahaha…A delicious Bass._


	5. Bass Fish

"...Just a few alleys away from you, 'tis what I heard," Cat Morgan whispered from atop of his stoop, "The information I was given was rather bleak, mind you. You two best be careful, that idiot could still be running around."

"You mean someone was killed... on purpose," Rumpelteazer asked, looking up from the old piece of paper she was batting around.

"Aye," Morgan nodded, "I hope someone gets their paws on that murdering bast-"

"_Morgan,"_ Roquefort cut in, pointing at the kitten that was looking up at him.

"...Fish," Morgan finished after a moment, looking rather suspicious, "Wide mouth bass; it's a fish."

"I know it's a fish," Rumpelteazer said indignantly, "I'm_ not_ stupid."

"You're a precious jewel," Morgan smiled, nuzzling her cheek, "You and Tiny Teazer best be careful, Roquefort, I don't want to hear that either of you died."

"I'm not tiny either."

"What ever you say my dear," he smiled again, looking into the glass door he was guarding, "They're closing up must be nearly five o'clock; the restaurants will be serving some warm food now..."

"Alright Morgan," Roquefort said, nudging Rumpelteazer down the stairs, "We'll see you later." The two began walking off, towards the busier part of the city. The wind was chilly and the ground had a thin layer of snow upon it, just enough to make tracks in. A bite of warm food would be good right now; it'd take some of the chill off of them. They walked around back of a restaurant, one closest to their home. Rumpelteazer waited outside as Roquefort snuck in; well there was the one upside from working for Macavity, aside from Teazer's safety of course; it's been a heck of a lot easier to steal from the humans. After "accidentally" sliding a rolling pin underneath a waiter's foot and reaping the reward (moist grilled chicken) he picked it up and carried it out to the sheltered corner that Rumpel was pressed into, "Eat up you"

"You too," she said, bending down for a bite. She purred contently as she swallowed the food and went back for another bite, before Roquefort joined in. The warm food did as they had hoped it would do and they left almost half of it for the next day. Roquefort finished his final bite as Rumpelteazer did a quick cleaning of her face. Roquefort picked up the rest of the food as the two darted across the road and ran down some side street, only dropping the cooked bird once. Roquefort tucked the poultry away and covered it as Rumpelteazer snuggled into the cushioned floor of their crate, "It's snowing Roquefort..."

"Yes it is Tiny Teazer," he whispered, sitting next to her. She glared at him, obviously irked over being called "Tiny" twice in one day. He poked her nose, causing her whiskers to twitch and tickle her cheeks. She blinked and giggled as some lone flakes made their way inside. Roquefort pulled the blanket over them, "Are you tired Teazer?"

"No," she sighed, "Can we play in the snow tomorrow?"

"If there is enough we will," Roquefort smiled. He looked down their alley, expecting to see Macavity lurking in the shadows but, from what he could tell, it was empty. The two began talking, watching the snow build up. Rumpelteazer eventually fell asleep, her head rested on his shoulder. A dark cat slinked into the alley; if it wasn't for the white snow on the ground he probably wouldn't have been seen. Roquefort watched closely as the cat approached him, "Can I help you?"

"Are you Roquefort," the tom asked.

"Why do you want to know?"

"I was told to come here and get you, Macavity wants to see you," the tom said, "Get up, leave the kit. From what I was told she's a deep sleeper, she won't notice that you're gone."

Roquefort carefully eased his sister off of him and tucked her in, placing a small kiss on her forehead; as he did every time before he ran off for Macavity. He turned and saw that the tom was already at the end of the street, he jogged to catch up to him, trying to get a good look at his companion, "So where is Macavity sending me tonight?"

"He's not, from what I know," the tom growled, "He just wants to see you."

"Where at; the docks, Louie's"

"_At his place_," Roquefort was shocked; one could only assume that Macavity was an alley cat by his looks. Roquefort figured that the tom must have meant the alley where Macavity resided; that would have made much more sense. He followed him across the outer boundaries of a large Junkyard; entering a cluttered part of it through a hole in the fence. Roquefort looked around; scruffy, dirty, mangy cats of every shape and size were lounging around; most of them in small clutters.

"So you're Roquefort," a queen's voice purred, "Aren't you the tom that dropped off that package from Macavity?"

Roquefort turned around and saw the white queen looking at him curiously, "Yes, the S. S Eliot, right?"

"The kit's got a memory," the Persian purred, "you've grown quite a bit too, not a kitten anymore now are you."

"I suppose not," Roquefort said as the queen dismissed the dark tom. "Mind telling me who you are?"

"Griddlebone," she said, walking away, "You coming or not?" Roquefort looked rather aback before timidly following her across the white ground, "I heard about you Roquefort."

"You have," he asked, looking au at her swishing tail.

She murmured a 'yes' as she slowed down so they were walking side by side, "Macavity has a great interest in you... you and your sister that is. It's quite the nasty predicament that you got yourself in."

"I don't know how it escalated into this, all I did was deliver that thing to you-"

"_That's exactly_ how you got into this; once you do something for Macavity you're in his employ for life."

"Is that how you got here?" Griddlebone remained silent, her face sullen and hard, "Griddlebone?"

"We're coming up to Macavity's den," She said, ignoring his question, "Good luck and come see me when you get out."

"What do you mean by _'good luck'_," Roquefort asked, whirling around as Griddlebone walked away. He felt his heart plunge into his stomach and whished that he hadn't left the sanctity of the crate. A throat was cleared behind him, causing his to spin around again, this time coming face to chest with Macavity.

"Good Evening Roquefort," he greeted good naturedly, a placid smile on his lips. There was just something about being in his presence during the dead of night, surrounded by vicious looking cats, that made Roquefort feel rather uneasy.

"Hello," he squeaked before clearing his throat and regaining his normal voice, "Macavity."

"No need to be nervous," Macavity chided as he put his arm around the smaller tom and steered him into the broken down deep freezer, "I merely wanted to talk with you."

"About what," Roquefort asked, feeling slightly calmer as Macavity indicated to him to sit down. The walls were white, making Macavity stand out so much more and it was comfortably cool inside; the walls were too thick for any wind to pass through.

"Nothing really, just wanted some company," Macavity sat across from him, "So how is Rumpelteazer?"

"She- she's fine," he stammered, "She's pretty excited about playing in the snow."

"Ah, yes, a kitten's first snowfall. It's a magical time," he trailed off, almost reflectively, "She's how old now?"

"Almost three months."

"_Three months_, where does the time fly? Why it feels like only yesterday that I was showing you how to feed her..." Roquefort uneasiness returned; remembering Macavity's harsh words from earlier that month _'I gave her life and I can take it away_...' How he wished that he didn't leave Teazer alone; although it felt as if she would be safer if he didn't disobey Macavity at the moment.

"She is growing up pretty fast," Roquefort agreed, hoping that it would convince himself that she could take care of herself if need be.

"One of theses days, before you know it, toms will start noticing her and start going after her; all wanting her paw. Some of them, mind you," he dropped his voice, "may not even _wait_ to get her paw. Some of them will just _take_ what they _want_." Roquefort gulped and he was sure that Macavity heard it; as big as Teazer was getting she was still small and she defiantly could not fend off such a tom. Macavity bared his sharp teeth as he smiled, obviously pleased to see the sheer terror on Roquefort's face, "But we need not to worry about that. So long as you don't defy me I promise that she will remain safe."

Roquefort stared up at him, not settled at all. He could hardly imagine what he would do to his baby sister; she was still just a kitten for Bast sake! She shouldn't have to deal with that danger, even if she didn't know that she was init, "Macavity, if I ever go against you, you come after _me_. Leave Rumpelteazer out of it," he ordered with force that he didn't know that he had, "You're_ my problem_ and my consequence should be for me."

"How noble," Macavity sighed before backhanding him across the face, "Never call me a problem again. You best start watching your words Roquefort; you never know when I'm watching," he opened the door, obviously waiting for him to leave. He stood up and walked out, willing himself not to flinch under the angry stare.

"That was pretty brave of you," Griddlebone said softly. Roquefort turned and saw her sitting next to the freezer, "I could hear you both through the walls."

"Oh," Roquefort stammered, feeling rather stupid. Griddlebone slid off of her perch and walked over to him, gingerly touching the swollen spot where he was hit.

"He got you pretty bad, didn't he," she whispered, tracing the bruise, "but it could have been worse. It could have been your sister too. If you ruffle your fur right, it won't show," she stopped and messed his fur, hiding the blemish, "Do you want to go home?"

He nodded silently; the cold air was making the bruise sting although it was a little bit more sheltered now that she covered it. He blinked a few times, warding off the stabbing pain from his cheek, he wasn't going to cry. There was just something about working for Macavity that made it feel like it's wrong to cry, especially in front of a queen. Griddlebone escorted him back out of the Junkyard, he half expected her to leave him there like when she brought him to Macavity's, but she remained by his side, "He got me when I was in love..."

"What," Roquefort asked, looking up at the white queen.

"Earlier you asked how Macavity got me on his side," Griddlebone cleared, "He came across me one day when I got in a nasty bout with some Pollicles, chased them off for me. We began talking and he eventually realized that I was off of Growltiger's ship; he was the one I was in love with. We began talking and he caught me off guard and asked me how you get on it, I told him and thought nothing of it. Turns out that he was in cahoots with a group of Siamese; told them where to find Growltiger and how to get to him. They snuck aboard and pushed me off, they killed Growltiger. I swam to shore and Macavity was standing there, waiting for me. He helped me up and welcomed me to his organization, been here ever since."

"That's awful," Roquefort breathed.

"It was; it's been two, maybe three years now. I swore that I'd never fall in love again," she said, fiddling with her paws, eyes glossy.

"We're almost to my alley, you can go back now if you want," he offered silently, not wanting to sound rude.

"I want to see your sister first; see what you sold your soul for, what you're protecting," she said, as a cold breeze blew some snow about. Roquefort guided her to the small shelter he shared as she crouched down and looked at the calico.

"She's beautiful; I don't blame you for wanting her to be safe..." Griddlebone said as she ran a paw across the ragged blanket.

Roquefort nodded as a silence fell over them, "So... tell me about Growltiger."

* * *

A/N: Another Blizzard.... Another day....Another short chapter...... I just don't have the heart for it anymore....

**Chimmy-Lava** – He should but he can't. I do get to do more then yawn – because I rock! Tehehe. Oink – that's gold. Peace!

**Mima-Love** – Yes... blackmail. More! You go a cold – in your warm weather? Hope you get your voice back soon. Blackmail is a glorious thing – I was going to Blackmail the school President if he didn't agree to go in the cage (I grew up with him – he lived down the road – I have plenty of dirt) but he agreed. Tehehe – Quackers, it is a little duck cheesy.

**lozzypop **– My exams are postponed, blizzards and what not. You should be wary – it's Macavity. Of course he's evil – he's Macavity! Well, even though you do know how it's going to end the ride's fun. 20 hours! By George! It'd take me three days to sleep that much. You have 'Tea'? Is that a snack or... supper or... something of the like?

**Mystitat **- (Plays the "Jaws" music on a Lobster Harmonica)

**ecties** – I suppose that it was kind of long...

_A gillic... Quatrilic...  
__Acrylics?  
__Yes, that I can't say acrylics... I just did! Woo-Hoo!_


	6. Going soft

Roquefort didn't know anything about the days of the week, wouldn't be able name them or say how many there were if his life depended on it. He knew Mon, Fri, Sat and Sun – he read them off of the door to Faber and Faber. He heard some humans talk about a 'Saturday' not that it made any sense to him; Sat did but not_ Saturday._ The only thing he really knew was that it was currently Sun – Faber and Faber was closed and Cat Morgan was able to join him in the park while Rumpelteazer played. The two sat on the bench as Rumpelteazer ran about the area in front of them, following animal tracks that were in the snow.

"I found bird prints," Rumpel announced, running in an odd pattern, "a lot of birds..."

"She's going to be entertained for a while," Cat Morgan laughed as Roquefort yawned widely, "What's the matter with you; tired at this time of day?"

"I've been having trouble sleeping," he lied as he shook his head, seeing if it would help him wake more.

"Why is that," Morgan asked as Rumpelteazer had a near collision with a tree.

"I don't know," he lied again as they fell silent, watching the small queen running around, "There's a lot of bad cats out there Morgan..."

Morgan turned and saw a pained look in Roquefort's eyes, "Aye..."

"They don't care who they hurt, do they? They don't care if they kill one cat and hurt a million in the process."

"'Tis true," he agreed gently.

"Morgan, if anything happens to me, please, please, take care of Rumpelteazer. She really likes you and..." he bit his lip and sighed, "I know that you'd make sure she stays safe."

"I will but don't talk like that," Morgan scolded, "why would anything like that happen to you? What did you get yourself into Roquefort?"

"I'm not quite sure Morgan," he shook his head, "And I don't think I'll ever be able to get out."

"I found bunny tracks," Rumpel announced, leaping to keep up with the spaced paw prints.

"Why not," Morgan asked, leaning closer, "Why won't you be able to get out?"

"I just can't, for security reasons," Roquefort hissed.

"Yours or..."

_"Both,"_ he stated a finalized tone in his voice. "So how's business?"

"Good, but I don't think that this is the time to talk about business Roquefort," Cat Morgan said, turning the orange tom's face towards his, "What is going on?"

"Nothing," Roquefort said as he jerked away and jumped off the bench, "I'm just doing what I need to do to make sure Rumpelteazer stays safe."

"If it's putting you in danger-"

"It's not," he hissed, walking towards his sister, "It's time to go."

"Already, but it's still light out, and I just found cat prints," Rumpelteazer groaned, gesticulating at the imprints on the ground.

"They're your prints from when you were following all the others," Rumpelteazer looked back at them and giggled in realization, "and humans are starting to come around, remember what happened last time?"

"My tail still hurts from the last time," she cringed, grabbing hold of it protectively, "Do we really have to go now?"

"Yes, now," he said as he nudged her with his nose. Rumpelteazer sighed and ran back towards the bench and gave Cat Morgan a warm hug. Roquefort watched the two carefully, making sure that Morgan didn't whisper anything in her ears.

"You take care," Morgan called as Rumpelteazer skipped back towards her brother, "_Try _to stay out of trouble."

"Will do," Roquefort called back casually as they left the park and wandered into the more abandoned part of the city. Rumpelteazer ran ahead, and jumped into the tunnel they dug in a snow bank that lead to a small area in front of the crate. Roquefort squeezed through, finding Rumpelteazer attempting to make a snowball, "What are you up to?"

"Making a snow-cat, want to help?"

Roquefort smiled and clumped some snow together, making the base. Rumpelteazer dug up some stones to decorate the face with as he pushed her ball on top of his. The two stood back and admired their work, which was rather shabby but they didn't seem to mind.

"Can we have a snowball fight tomorrow?"

"We'll see," he said, sticking the last twig-whisker into the sculpture.

"Can we do it with Cat Morgan?"

"No," he said bluntly, "he needs to watch the door tomorrow, and besides, he's much too old for snowball fights."

"I hope I'm never too for snowball fights," she muttered, climbing into bed, "can you tell me the story again?"

"I've told you that story for the past two months, do you really want to hear it again," he asked, pleading for a _'no',_ as he settled down next to her.

"Yes, I want to hear it again," she exclaimed, blinking furiously and giving him a sweet smile, "Please..."

"Fine," he sighed and re-adjusted himself, "Growltiger was a Bravo cat who traveled on a barge; in fact he was the roughest cat that ever roamed at large. From Gravesend up to Oxford, he pursued with evil aims; rejoicing in his title of 'The Terror of the Thames'..." Rumpelteazer snuggled in, listening as Roquefort told of the night when Growltiger saw his love, the crew was sleeping and they shared a love song only to be ambushed by Siameses. Griddlebone escaped and Growltiger was forced to walk the plank, "...Rats were roasted whole at Brentford and Victoria Dock, and a day of celebration was commanded in Bangkok."

He listened to the steady purr of his sleeping sister in the darkness of the night. He was usually sent for by now, should he go to Macavity's? But sleep, sleep would be wonderful right now. If he wasn't sent for then he must not be needed, he was free to sleep a whole night. He curled up, gave one last look outside, and was about to fall asleep.

"That was quite the story," an amused voice remarked, "I could_ almost_ picture myself in it." Roquefort slowly opened his eyes and could barely distinguish Griddlebone's outline against the snowy background, "It was just so life-like."

"Sarcasm noted," he yawned, pushing himself to his paws, "I knew that it was too good to be true. I'm being sent on a run?"

"Why would tonight be different from any other night? Yes, you, like all others he gathered, are to be going on runs every night, unless it is too stormy," she added with a weak smile.

"Where to tonight," he asked as he walked towards her.

"This insurance bureau; Faber and Faber-"

"Faber and- I can't go there. I know the cat that guards the door; I can't steal from there. What if he_ sees_ me," he asked, the utmost terror showing in his eyes.

"Well," Griddlebone said, biting her lip, "You're making me go soft Roquefort. I'll do your job if you agree to do mine."

"Really; what is it?"

"I don't know if you're going to like this..."

* * *

Roquefort kept his paw clamped over the queen, struggling to free herself from his grasp. He tried to tighten his grip as she kicked him, making him wince, "Would you calm down?" She shook her head as they left the part of the Junkyard where she resided. He went into a box and released her, cornering her in. 

"Filthy scum," she hissed, claws coming out.

"Calm down," he urged, the queen growled deep in her throat.

"I won't do anything for you. You're obviously one of Macavity's-"

"Calm down," he yelled, tears ready to fall, "It's not like I wanted to take you from your house, and I don't want to bring you to Macavity but I have to! If I don't he'll go after my sister, I can't let her get hurt."

"How do I know you're telling the truth," she asked, not as fierce as before but claws still retracted.

"You're just going to have to trust me," he said softly, grabbing her paws and covering her mouth once again, "And trust me, I'm sorry..." The queen nodded slowly as she allowed herself to be led out and towards the encampment.

* * *

A/N: I should have washed this dye out….40 minutes ago. Well, the longer it's in the brighter it's supposed to be. So, no harm I suppose… right? There's a play that we (our school) is apparently supposed to be seeing on Wednesday. So, Bahday! As for the queen that our dear little Roquefort took – take a stab in the dark at who it is… 

**Mima-Love** – Girl, I'm getting worn out chasing you around that board. I didn't even know that you were there when I first showed up – what a pleasant surprise for me eh? I'd be walking around in tanks up your ways. Kanada's weather has begun to calm down – but February's just around the corner and it's always' the worse. Have fun disguising!

**Chimmy-Lava** – My computer does that too and I hate it; with a passion. You say 'anywhozzles' too! I said hat to Poe and she laughed (apparently the 'anywhos' have been growing in lenght). He's in pretty bad – stealing queens now. I would laugh just looking at that script. It's still being re-written, soon though.

**lozzypop** – I love her too, and he is still evil. I know what you mean – he has guts. And there may be something there; I'm not saying though. I did sleep twenty hour once – knocked out on a lot of medicine when I was sick. I think I drank more then recommended though. Actually, I was picturing you with tea biscuits, not scones. But now I know. I love people who stereotypicalize – especially when I get asked if I'm afraid of the polar bears in my back yard or if I'm worried that global warming will melt my igloo. I should stop rambling too I suppose….

"_We'll hijack a plane, After inflicting lots of pain, So that we can see, Our friend Krissy."  
__(Loving written by Chimmy and Mima)_


	7. Am I dead?

"What is this world coming to? Murders, thefts, kidnapping; before you know the Armageddon will be upon us," Rumpelteazer exclaimed, receiving an odd look from Roquefort.

"Where did you hear that?"

"Cat Morgan. Did you know that somebody broke in to his office? Just earlier this month; they still don't know who did it, they left without a trace."

"Do you know what they did," Roquefort asked as he shuffled about, "At Faber's?"

"Broke into some safety deposit boxes and took the jewelry and deeds; that what Cat told me at least."

"You worship him don't you? You quote him nearly once a week," Roquefort poked, "You need to start being independent, after all you are... how old now?"

"_Six months_" she boasted, "Cat says that I'm going to be a heartbreaker once I start meeting toms."

"_Over my dead body_, no sister of mine is going to be fooling around with toms," he growled playfully.

She giggled, stepping over the melting snow, "Cat Mor-"

"I don't want to hear another _'Cat Morgan says'_ out of you. Let's hear something from the mind of Tiny Teazer."

"I'm not tiny," she cried.

"I know that's from your mind," he coughed, rolling his eyes, "You excited?"

"Yeah, I get to spend the whole day with Cat," she exclaimed, "I found this patch of ice the other day and I'm going to bring him to it before it melts so we can skate. I would bring him to it later but he's going to be gone tomorrow with Faber to that meeting thing... It might be melted by the time he's back."

"Yeah," he said, the marmalade tom coming into view, "Hello Morgan."

"Hello Roquefort, my Tiny Teazer," he greeted, scooping up the queen.

"I'm not-"

"Tiny, we know," Roquefort sighed as she crossed her arms in frustration. "I heard that the office was broken into, sorry."

"No need to be," he chided, "We lost a few clients and, there was a big dispute but most of the wrinkles are smoothened out. So what are you going to do while me and Rumpel play?"

"Sleep," he said with a grin, "I'll be back around five, before you have to leave. Thank you Morgan."

"No problem, you go sleep," Cat Morgan said as he waved him away, "I'm told that there's an ice patch I need to skate on."

Roquefort walked away, heading towards the junkyard to see Macavity. He awoke to find a letter next to him, explaining that Macavity wanted to see him as soon as possible. What for, he didn't know but something told him that it couldn't be good. He walked into the part of the Junkyard that Macavity ruled over, passing the familiar faces of the, mostly, unfamiliar cats. He waved to the few he knew, not well enough as he did Griddlebone, but enough to be able to hold a conversation with. He looked at the vast whiteness of the door and knocked, the common uneasy feeling washing over him. He heard Macavity growl to him to enter from within. He took one last breath and walked inside. Macavity was sitting in the corner of the room, fiddling some sort of wind up toy.

"Roquefort," he pointed at the tom's usual seat, "can you tell me where you were last night?"

"I was-" he started as Macavity cut him off.

"Because you were _not_ where you were supposed to be. You," he pointed a claw at Roquefort, "were supposed to be watching that queen you brought here this month. Since you weren't here, she wasn't being guarded; do _you know_ what that means?" He opened his mouth to comment but was cut off once again, "It means that she got away. Her little friends came by and took her back. Why weren't you here Roquefort?"

"I wasn't told that I was to watch her," Roquefort protested, a growl rising in Macavity's throat. Roquefort stood up quickly, eyes blazing as bad as Macavity's.

"You were told that you were to watch her last week," the red tom snarled, "I, _personally,_ told you." Roquefort furrowed his brow slightly, trying to remember, but failed. "She's much too protected now to get her back. I may just have to find myself a new queen now; perhaps a _calico!"_

"You agreed to leave her out of this," Roquefort yelled back, clenching his claws, "I'm the one you're angry at."

"I'm not angry, I'm _furious_," he hissed, "livid, enraged, seething, infuriated. Pick one, Roquefort; none of them can properly describe how I'm feeling right now."

"I don't care anymore Macavity," Roquefort shouted, "Ever since you got me on your side you've been making my life a living hell! I don't sleep anymore, I barely have fun with Rumpelteazer anymore because I'm always paranoid that something will happen to her, I'm constantly stressed, I hate myself for what you're making me do, and I can_ still_ hear the screams. The one that came from that tom you made me kill still haunts my dreams. There is nothing, _nothing,_ which I would love more then for you to die!"

"Oh, you shall pay for that," Macavity growled, swiping at Roquefort who pushed the paw out of the way, just enough so that he wouldn't get harmed.

"Tonight," he stated, "I'm going to pick Rumpelteazer up, bring her home, tuck her in one last time, and I'll come back. Then you can do what you must."

Macavity stared down at him, his brow deeply lined in thought. He slowly lowered his paw and stepped back, "Very well," he sneered, "but if you are not back before dawn I'm coming after you and both you and your sister will suffer."

"Of course," he nodded, leaving the freezer. He walked across the area, knees shaking and feeling light headed.

"Roquefort what is going on," Griddlebone asked, jogging along side of him, "I was on the other side of the bounds and I could hear you yelling. Is everything alright?"

Roquefort stopped, realization hitting him like a ton of bricks, "I'm going to die tonight Griddle."

"What," she gasped in horror, "you're... why?"

"His queen was rescued," he said, voice cracking, "Time to pay the piper."

"No, Roquefort you can't die," the older queen said as she gripped his shoulders, "I can't loose you. You're like a little brother to me. You're the only one here who I can tolerate, you _actually have_ a soul. You're here to protect your sister while everyone else here only cares about their own fur... I'll die before I let you die."

"No, don't," he said gently, "Don't die. I'm going to die so Rumpelteazer will be safe; if I leave he's going to get me and her. You stay here; try to keep an eye on her. Make sure that she doesn't get messed up like me."

Griddlebone leaned in and brought him into a warm hug, "Sure thing," she squeaked out, placing a small kiss on his cheek, "I'm going to miss you."

"Same here," he shuddered, "I'm going to go get Rumpel and bring her home," he said walking off, not daring to look back at the tall white queen. Some how he managed to pull himself together by the time he got to the porch of Faber and Faber, "Ready to go Teazer?"

"Yeah," she said reluctantly, giving the old tom one last embrace, "did you sleep well?"

"What," he asked, before remembering his alibi, "Slept great. _Farewell_ Morgan," he called, receiving a wave of the paw. He picked Rumpelteazer up, who giggled in delight, as she was piggybacked across the road. Roquefort listened as she told him about skating and how many times Cat Morgan fell, which was _more _then she did. He placed her down on the blanket, which she fixed so it was more comfortable.

"You're almost grown up Rumpelteazer;" Roquefort said quietly, "Momma would love you." She looked up at him curiously, "I can still remember back when you were small, must have been two months old, you got covered in mud for the first time. You looked so much like Momma,_ so beautiful._ And when you learnt how to walk, and when you were first born. You were so tiny, a_ real_ Tiny Teazer. I thought that I was going to loose you. I had no idea how to take care you or what to do; I've been winging it ever since."

"Well you're doing a great job," she praised, "and _we always_ have fun."

"Always go to the park and play," he added sadly, tears suddenly formed in his eyes and began falling before he could stop them, "There's so much that we didn't do yet."

"We can do it_ tomorrow_ then," she said as she gave him a tight hug, "No need to cry. We can do everything you want, I don't mind."

"Rumpelteazer, I need to tell you something important," she pulled back, arms still wrapped around him, "Never let anyone _use you._ Go with your gut instinct every time, no one will blame you for not doing something that scares you. Never let anyone make you feel belittled; always walk with your head high and be proud. The Everlasting Cat watches over everyone and sometimes bad things happen for a reason..."

"Like Momma dying?"

"Yeah, just like that. If she was still alive we may not be as close as we are now," he looked down at her through his tear filled eyes, "_I love you_ Rumpelteazer..."

"I love you too Roquefort," she replied wholeheartedly.

"I don't say that enough," he scolded.

"But I know you do," she comforted as she rested her head on his shoulder. He began purring, noticing that she was soon mimic his purr like when she was small.

"Growltiger had no eye or ear for aught but Griddlebone; and the lady seemed enraptured by his manly baritone. Disposed to relaxation and awaiting no surprise, but the moonlight shone reflected from a thousand bright blue eyes..." he whispered, as she fell asleep. He gently laid her down, and tucked her in. He gave her a kiss on her forehead, as he always did before running off to Macavity's, and took one last look at her. Night had fallen and he didn't see any reason to postpone the inevitable. He stood up, said one last '_good night'_, and was gone.

* * *

Rumpelteazer's tail twitched nervously; _this was wrong._ She noticed that things were immediately wrong; Roquefort was not around when she woke up. Every morning, since the dawn of her creation, she would wake up with him beside her. She figured that he may just be out getting some food but it was late afternoon by now, nearly early evening and he _still wasn't_ back. She stood up and began to smell the air; his scent was still stale; he must still be a ways away. Impatience getting the best of her, she walked to the end of the alley, calling out his name but was given no response. She ran to the back alleys where they'd get food, the park, and the neighboring alleys but his scent was not among any of the places. Night was beginning to fall and light was soon fading.

She checked Cat Morgan's place, even though Morgan was not there, and called out his name as loud and as long as her lungs would allow. But no one yelled back. She took off back to home, hoping to see that he was back, or at least his scent was. She was at the end of her alley when she picked up something, something that tickled her nose. She followed it, it smelled like Roquefort but something about it smelt _out of place_. After jogging down the street, to a part of London she was not familiar with, she collapsed. Running about London wore her out; her stomach was empty, as it had been so for the past few days, and she was out of breath. Her head spun like a top and she closed her eyes, hoping to regain her sense but fell asleep.

She awoke sometime during the night; a transfer truck had just passed and sent a wave of slush, which had puddle up in the streets, washing over her. She stood up in shock and shook herself out. She shivered in the cold air and began looking around, it was hard to tell which way was home in the dark. She squinted in the dim light; there was a dark form of a cat just a few feet ahead of her. Normally, she wouldn't even approach such a figure, as she was told not to by Roquefort and Morgan _many times_. She was far from home, couldn't remember how to get back, and still didn't find her brother; it was time to put _her_ _faith in the goodness of strangers_ and see if he could help her. She took a few steps forward, speaking gently so she wouldn't startle him when she stopped and took a few steps back in fear.

A car just went by, their headlights illuminating the form on the sidewalk. Roquefort stared unconditionally at her, eyes wide and blank. His jovial smile was now slack jawed and his white and orange fur was matted and tinted with dried blood. She scrambled over to him, staring down in disbelief, "Roquefort...?" She shook him gently, his body cold under her paws. She batted his whiskers, which was how she always woke him up in the morning, but he just kept staring at her. Her voice cracked as she fell on top of him, hugging his middle, "Roquefort..." She stayed there, hugging him, tears flowing from her eyes. She tried to breath in his scent, remembering his pine tree scent but couldn't distinguish it from the harsh scent of blood. She pulled away, unsure of what to do with his body. She stood up; her own fur splotched with blood, and ran. Tears were clouding her vision; her mind was constantly showing her his corpse, and her paws aching from pounding into the pavement.

She fell to the ground, landing harshly on her side, bringing on a new wave of tears – this time of pain. She didn't move, she was ready for the Everlasting Cat to pick her up, bring her to the Heavyside Layer with the rest of her family. She closed her eyes, and prayed that they_ wouldn't_ open.

_

* * *

_

"Are you alright?"

"Am I dead?"

"No."

"Then I'm _not alright_," Rumpelteazer sobbed. She could feel sunshine on her face, the fresh air tickling her nose, and a new voice piquing her curiosity. She opened her eyes, seeing the outline of a tabby cat. Her heart fluttered for a brief moment, believing that it was Roquefort, but realized that the tabby was grey, not orange.

"What happened," he asked, helping her to her paws. Her breath caught in her throat, amazed at how he could know that something was wrong with in five seconds of talking to her. She then noticed that her fur was covered with dried blood, filth, knotted and tussled; a wreck compared to his sleek, shiny, clean fur.

"I..." she bit her lip, looking down, "My brother, he's dead. I found him last night... I... I..."

_"Shh,"_ the grey tabby said soothingly, pulling her into a comforting hug, "It's alright, cry if you want." Rumpelteazer found that to be a good idea and allowed her tears to flow again, "Where is he?"

"Couldn't tell you if I wanted to," she admitted glumly, "Who are you?"

"Munkustrap; and who are you little one?"

"Rumpelteazer," she said as she wiped away some tears, "Do you know where my alley is at?"

"No," he said shaking his head apologetically, "Is you mother or father there?"

"No one is, just my bed. And I know where everything is from my bed. Where to get food, where to play, which spots are warm, and where other cats are so I won't be lonely..."

"If you like you can stay here instead. There are plenty cats here that can keep you company, get you food, take care of you, and many different warm spots to sleep," he offered with a kind smile, "I don't see why someone as young as you should be living out there alone."

"I suppose that you do have a point," she sniffled, laying her paw in his, "Where am I anyways."

"The Jellicle Junkyard"

* * *

A/N: Well, here we are – at the end of the prequel. Expect the sequel sometime this week. It feels as if it was forever since I last updated – let alone written. Well – I don't have much to say; for once; I know, I'm surprised too.

**_Mima-Love_ and Chimmy-Lava** – Another joint reply! _gasp How did you know it was Demeter?_ Woops – I changed it to two 'm's once you told me. _The more nicknames the more I love you. It was pretty well for the time being – we're still chasing each other._ You bet I did. _You're as modest as I am Mima_. Hollah! See yous at the board and you didn't ruin my hair.

**Poe** – You call that a lump? There's a lump on her rump big enough to be a hump Don't let Mima know that you hate Macavity... she'll go crazy on you.

**lozzypop** – How did you guess it was Demeter? You may be reading into it a bit too much but it's giving me ideas for the sequel... And I like it. I don't dip tea biscuits – I don't drink tea or coffee either. And the polar bears are good – they have been for a while now, thanks for asking. I'll stick with my bears – I ride them to school. And – just so you know – your reviews always make my day.

**Mystitat** – Is everyone trying to make me think? Jellylorum you say... I like it. I could always change it from the obvious to her... Hmmm

**Broken Smyl** – I'm glad that you liked the story – even though it's the end of this one the sequel's coming soon. I dyed my hair pink again – flamingo pink! It's hot – everyone says so.

_Well... at least you'll be warm. There's always a silver lining_


End file.
